Organic Growing Workshop: 10 Common Garden Insect Pests & How to Control Them Organically

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1 Organic Growing Workshop: 10 Common Garden Insect Pests & How to Control Them Organically Diane Alston Entomologist Utah State University Extension March 12, 2016

2 Common Tree Fruit Insect Pests codling moth, cherry fruit fly, peach twig borer, and aphids

Codling Moth Internal fruit worm in apple & pear

under tree bark Spring: adult moth emerges

fruit & leaves 1 st instar larva bores into

to control with non-chemical tools Cocoon under

3 Codling Moth Internal fruit worm in apple & pear Overwinters as a caterpillar within a cocoon under tree bark Spring: adult moth emerges beginning at ~ apple bloom time Eggs laid on fruit & leaves 1 st instar larva bores into fruit w/in 24 hr of hatching Challenging insect to control with non-chemical tools Cocoon under bark Codling moth egg & 1 st instar larva Fruit injury Adult moth

Codling Moth Chemical Control Target eggs & newly hatched larvae Timing based on moth trap catch & degree-days in your area Tree Fruit IPM Advisory provides

4 Codling Moth Chemical Control Target eggs & newly hatched larvae Timing based on moth trap catch & degree-days in your area Tree Fruit IPM Advisory provides the proper timing Organic insecticides: horticultural mineral oil (1-1.5%) target egg hatch mix with CydX codling moth virus (CydX; 7 d) spinosad (Entrust; 7 d)

5 Tree Fruit IPM Advisory

6 Pheromones for Moth Monitoring Communication within a species: sex attractant Pheromone traps are only for monitoring They are not a control tool Attract only male moths

7 Pest detection and evaluation Degree Days Degree days are a measurement of heat units over time

8 Codling Moth Fact Sheet

9 Mechanical Control: Sanitation Pick up dropped fruit June drop green apples July-August don t wait too long or larvae will have already exited fruit

10 Mechanical Control: Bands & Bags Mass trap larvae in corrugated cardboard bands on tree trunks Pupate inside silken cocoons on trunks Fruit bags to exclude codling moth eggs Place bags over 3/4 diameter fruit Late June to Mid-September

Western Cherry Fruit Fly Larvae feed inside sweet & tart

doesn t become soft enough for egg-laying until it turns

GF-120 NF (spinosad + bait; 7 d) pyrethrin (Pyganic; 3-5 d)

canopy pupate in soil under trees Predation by fowl:

11 Western Cherry Fruit Fly Larvae feed inside sweet & tart cherries; female flies lay eggs in ripening fruit; fruit doesn t become soft enough for egg-laying until it turns salmon colored Chemical control: spinosad (Entrust; 7 d) GF-120 NF (spinosad + bait; 7 d) pyrethrin (Pyganic; 3-5 d) Mechanical control: Landscape fabric or barrier under tree canopy pupate in soil under trees Predation by fowl: chickens, guinea hens, ducks, geese, turkeys Pupae Adult fly Maggots in fruit Landscape fabric

12 Western Cherry Fruit Fly Fact Sheet

Peach Twig Borer Over winter as young larvae on limbs

caterpillars tunnel into new shoots 2 nd & 3 rd

stem end Chemical Control: Delayed Dormant Spray (Bud

sprays(dipel, Thuricide, Javelin) at early & full to

spinosad (Entrust) or pyrethrin (Pyganic) Overwintering

13 Peach Twig Borer Over winter as young larvae on limbs within cocoons From bloom to petal fall, brown caterpillars tunnel into new shoots 2 nd & 3 rd generation caterpillars enter fruit, usually at the stem end Chemical Control: Delayed Dormant Spray (Bud break) horticultural oil (2%) OR Bloom sprays: 2 Bt sprays(dipel, Thuricide, Javelin) at early & full to late bloom Fruit Protection (Tree Fruit IPM Advisory): spinosad (Entrust) or pyrethrin (Pyganic) Overwintering cocoon PTB larva feeding on peach shoot Larva near pit Shoot strike Stem-end entry

Common Tree Fruit Aphids in Utah Apple Rosy Apple Aphid Green Apple Aphid Woolly Apple Aphid Cherry Black Cherry Aphid Peach Green Peach Aphid Plum Mealy Plum Aphid Leaf Curl Plum

14 Common Tree Fruit Aphids in Utah Apple Rosy Apple Aphid Green Apple Aphid Woolly Apple Aphid Cherry Black Cherry Aphid Peach Green Peach Aphid Plum Mealy Plum Aphid Leaf Curl Plum Aphid How to identify aphids: -green, black, pink, purple -small, soft pear-shaped bodies -slow moving -pair of tailpipes cornicles exude defensive fluid -adults with & without wings

Aphids Aphids have tailpipes Non-winged & winged adults

sticky honeydew; black sooty mold growth Protect young

Chemical Control: horticultural oil at green tip stage

azadirachtin (neem) Biological control: lady beetles,

15 Aphids Aphids have tailpipes Non-winged & winged adults Suck fluids from leaves & stems; curl leaves; produce sticky honeydew; black sooty mold growth Protect young trees, older trees can tolerate more aphid feeding Chemical Control: horticultural oil at green tip stage In-season: insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, azadirachtin (neem) Biological control: lady beetles, lacewings, syrphid flies, parasitic wasps Rosy Apple Aphid Green Apple Aphid Woolly Apple Aphid

16 Woolly Apple Aphid Can be a severe pest of apple Mid- & late-season pest Forms galls on roots & twigs reduced tree vigor stunted roots & trees Contaminate stem bowl of fruit Root galls Aphids covered in white woolly wax Twig galls disrupt transport of nutrients & water

17 Aphid Biological Control Brown Lacewing Convergent Lady Beetle Syrphid or Hover Fly Green Lacewing

18 Woolly Apple Aphid Biological Control Aphid Predators: ladybeetles lacewings syrphid flies Aphid mummies Aphelinus mali parasitoid wasp of WAA Alyssum planted to attract Syrphid flies to nectar & pollen

19 Aphid & Spider Mite Mechanical Control Stiff spray of water every 2-3 days until aphid or mite numbers decline Best if initiated before leaves are tightly curled (aphids) or extensive webbing & leaf injury occurs (mites)

20 Common Raspberry Insect Pests earwigs, grasshoppers, and caneborers

21 European Earwig Female European earwig (straight cerci) Nocturnal feed on fruits & leaves with chewing mouthparts

22 European Earwig Traps

Earwig Management Before Berries are Ripe Insecticidal soap + pyrethrin (Pyganic) or neem reapply every 3-5 days suppressive combine with trapping & habitat management OR spinosad (Entrust) Predation

23 Earwig Management Before Berries are Ripe Insecticidal soap + pyrethrin (Pyganic) or neem reapply every 3-5 days suppressive combine with trapping & habitat management OR spinosad (Entrust) Predation by fowl chicken, turkey, duck Dense & moist ground covers, such as birdsfoot trefoil, can provide attractive daytime refuge for earwigs Wheat straw & paper mulch are less attractive Earwigs prefer dense, moist refuge

24 Grasshoppers on Berries Strip the foliage Some eat fruit: e.g., Differential grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialis Late summer to early fall Hot, dry conditions

neem Nosema locustae bait treat a larger area around farm/garden target nymphs (young)

25 Grasshopper Management Floating row cover fabric Cultivate around plants in fall and/or spring to disrupt overwintering eggs in soil Predation by fowl Insecticides pyrethrin or neem Nosema locustae bait treat a larger area around farm/garden target nymphs (young) before adult numbers build up Community- Wide Grasshopper Control Fact Sheet utahpests.usu.edu Fact sheets

& June) Entire canes wilt Clear-wing moth: 2-yr life cycle Use clean stock Dig out infested

26 Raspberry Cane Borers Fact Sheets: Insects Small Fruit Canes break at girdling site Remove nearby wild roses Prune out infested canes Insecticide applications to target adult flight (May & June) Entire canes wilt Clear-wing moth: 2-yr life cycle Use clean stock Dig out infested crowns Entomopathogenic nematodes (July) Insecticides applied as crown drench (October) for 2-consecutive yrs

27 Raspberry Cane Borers Raspberry Horntail Prune out canes with hole in pith (by early May) Prune out tips of infested canes (June July) Select less susceptible cultivars Natural biological control from several parasitic wasps

28 Common Vegetable Insect Pests squash bug, flea beetles, and cabbage worms

preventive & mechanical controls first Treatment threshold: 1 egg cluster per plant Females

29 Squash Bugs Difficult insect to control prone to insecticide resistance In Utah, primarily a pest of squash & pumpkin Plant injury: leaf necrosis, scarred fruits, rapid plant wilt Use preventive & mechanical controls first Treatment threshold: 1 egg cluster per plant Females lay bronze-colored egg clusters near leaf veins Nymphs have gray bodies with dark legs & antennae

30 Squash Bug Damage Sudden Wilt from heavy feeding that severs xylem vessels Feeding on fruit rinds causes scars and sunken areas

Squash Bug IPM Maintain healthy plants Field sanitation destroy crop debris immediately after harvest

resistant: Butternut, Royal Acorn mod resistant: Sweet Cheese, Green Striped Cushaw Floating row covers

cover undersides of leaves and stems Every 1-2 wk during peak activity Exclude squash bugs with

31 Squash Bug IPM Maintain healthy plants Field sanitation destroy crop debris immediately after harvest Remove wood piles & other debris near garden/field where adults seek winter shelter Resistant varieties resistant: Butternut, Royal Acorn mod resistant: Sweet Cheese, Green Striped Cushaw Floating row covers (before bloom) Hand-pick adults & nymphs, and squish eggs sticky tape method Kaolin clay (Surround) cover undersides of leaves and stems Every 1-2 wk during peak activity Exclude squash bugs with floating row cover when plants are young Remove eggs & nymphs with sticky tape; cover lower plant with kaolin clay

32 Utah Pests Fact Sheet Insects Vegetable link

Flea Beetles in Vegetable Crops Small black & brown beetles that jump quickly when disturbed

plant debris, under & on weeds In the spring, adults fly to attractive crop plants Adults feed on

leaves & cotyledons young plants are most affected injury to older plants can generally be

33 Flea Beetles in Vegetable Crops Small black & brown beetles that jump quickly when disturbed enlarged hind legs for jumping Adults spend the winter in protected sites: under soil clods & plant debris, under & on weeds In the spring, adults fly to attractive crop plants Adults feed on seedlings causing stunting & seedling death Adult feeding causes small round holes & pits in true leaves & cotyledons young plants are most affected injury to older plants can generally be tolerated Feeding injury to bean seedlings; note cotyledon damage Western black flea beetle Palestriped flea beetle

Plants Preferred by Flea Beetles Vegetables in

arugula, broccoli, kale, cabbage (Chinese),

(Solanaceae) potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper

adult flea beetle shot holes Potato flea beetle

34 Plants Preferred by Flea Beetles Vegetables in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) mustard greens, arugula, broccoli, kale, cabbage (Chinese), collards Vegetables in the tomato family (Solanaceae) potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper Many weeds, especially mustards Arugula leaf with adult flea beetle shot holes Potato flea beetle Tobacco flea beetle Flea beetle adults chew pits in waxy broccoli leaves

Flea Beetle Larval Damage to Vegetable Crops

and brown heads Chew on small roots & root

feed on potato tubers & carrots winding,

surface with small brown tunnels Flea beetle

35 Flea Beetle Larval Damage to Vegetable Crops Larvae are pale yellow to white with short legs and brown heads Chew on small roots & root hairs of host plants Larvae of some species feed on potato tubers & carrots winding, shallow grooves on tuber surface pimpled surface with small brown tunnels Flea beetle larva feeding on root Flea beetle larval injury to potato tubers & carrots

Vegetable IPM for Flea Beetles Remove weeds along field margins (especially mustards) Deeply disk plant residue in infested fields after harvest Good seedbed

(or vacuum) Chinese southern giant mustard, radish, daikon, pac choi, Pacific gold mustard Organic insecticides pyrethrin (PyGanic), spinosad (Entrust),

36 Vegetable IPM for Flea Beetles Remove weeds along field margins (especially mustards) Deeply disk plant residue in infested fields after harvest Good seedbed preparation to accelerate seedling growth Floating row covers to exclude adults Trap crops; plant 2-4 wk ahead of cash crop; treat trap crops with insecticides (or vacuum) Chinese southern giant mustard, radish, daikon, pac choi, Pacific gold mustard Organic insecticides pyrethrin (PyGanic), spinosad (Entrust), azadirachtin (Aza- Direct, Neem Oil) To protect potato tubers & carrot roots diatomaceous earth (organic) Row cover on eggplant Mustard trap crop planted between broccoli rows

37 Utah Pests Fact Sheet Insects Vegetable link

38 Cabbage Worms Caterpillars chew large holes in leaves; produce abundant frass (excrement) Bt (Dipel, Thuricide, Javelin), spinosad (Entrust) Row cover fabric cover plants to prevent egg-laying Cabbage butterfly (above) Cabbage looper (middle) Diamond back moth (below) Floating row cover

39 Utah Pests Online Resources

40 Utah Pests Online Resources

41 Fact Sheets: over 200 fact sheets on pests of ornamentals, turf, fruits, vegetables, field crops, health-related, nuisance, stored products, structural, etc.

42 Guides

43 Video Fact Sheets

IPM Advisories: ornamentals, turf, fruits, vegetables www.utahpests.usu.

44 IPM Advisories: ornamentals, turf, fruits, vegetables All you need to sign up for the advisories is an address Free subscription Timely info on pest activity -insects -mites -diseases -nutrient deficiencies -environmental stress Lots of images! IPM recommendations -mechanical, cultural, biological Effective pesticides -organic products

45 IPM Advisories (2015 Examples)

46 Utah Pests News Quarterly newsletter on all things insects and plant diseases in Utah

47 Pest Diagnostics Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Lab Sample Submission

Find this slideshow and others at www.utahpests.usu.

48 Find this slideshow and others at for your attention Contact us Slideshows: Workshops (at top)

IPM for Common Fruit Tree Insect Problems Diane Alston, Entomologist, Utah State University. Utah Green Industry Conference January 25, 2016

IPM for Common Fruit Tree Insect Problems Diane Alston, Entomologist, Utah State University Utah Green Industry Conference January 25, 2016 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Sustainable Economics, Environment,